Device for producing an optical illusion



May 10 1927; 1,627,603

E. HABERFELD DEVICE FOR PRODUCING AN OPTICAL ILLUSION Filed March 18. 1925 a" I NVENZRL A TTORNE Y.

Patented May 10, 1927.

UNITED f STATE 5 PAT N orr cs.

We Bessemer. B-r tmem aa reatest; essleroe 9 saA L'rrno QSQ'IBBIISTCFING 09., or New YonK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or NEW xorgx;

av- CE FOR assa ant QH sewer Applicationfilegl March 18, 1926. Serial No. 95,523.

My invention consists-in a device composed of a stationary surface and a movable surface disposed back of said stationary surface. and carrying the picture of some article, or thelike, arranged'in such a position on said movable surfacethat upon the latter being set into motion, the pictur thereon will appear in certain time intervals in an opening or window provided in the stationary surface. On the front of this statlonary surface there maybe printed, for instance, a cigarette box, and at some distance below the same another box or container, the opening above referred to, consisting in this case of a slot disposed between the cigarette box and the said container. On'the movable surface disposed back of the stationary surface there is painted or otherwise shown a cigarette, the picture thereof being so arranged that upon the said movable surface being set into motion, the picture of the cigarette will in certain time intervals appear in said opening, the whole arrangement giving the illusion as if. a cigarette were continually dropped from the cigarette box into the container below. The movable surface which is painted or made of the same color, preferably a dark color, as the stationary surface, may be made as a rotatable circular disk and may carry several pictures of a cigarette suitably spaced, of course, apart.-

The movable surface and the means for moving the same are concealed by a casing, the front wall of which casing is preferably formed by the stationary surface.

While a cigarette has been mentioned, it will be obvious, that the device will readily lend itself to any kind of article, or even to produce other optical illusions. For instance, there may be pictured on the stationary surface a coffee-pot in a tilted position as if to pour outcoffee, and on the movable surface there would then be painted a brown streak, which if more or less continually appearing through the opening in the stationary surface, would create the'illusion, as if actually coffee was being poured from the cofiee pot. In that case, of course, a cup would be shown below the coffee-pot, the opening being disposed between the cup and the pot. Or in returning again to the picture of a cigarette, there may be shown on the stationary surface a hand holding a burning cigarette, and an opening is pro? vided above the end of the cigarette, On the movable surface back of the stationary surface there are pictured small curls of smoke, so that upon the movable surface being set into motion, theimpression will becrcated as if curls of smoke rise fromthe burning end of the cigarette.

Thus, it will be seen that-my invention is capable of almost innumerable inodifica tions,.variat ions and applications, and there foreI do not limit myself to the construe tions shown in the accompanying-drawing and hereafter described indetail. v In the drawing, Fig. 1 shows one form of my invention in front elevation, Fig. 2 shows the movable surface and the meansfor' moting the same, Fig. 3 shows a different mo-2 able surface and-means for moving the same.

In Fig. 1 is shown a stationary surface 1 which is provided with an'opening or window shown at 2. On this stationary surface which for obvious reasons is made of a dark color,- preferably black or dark blue, may be painted, as in the example shown, a cigarette box as shown at 8, and below the same is painted a container shown at 4, the opening 2 being arranged between the cigarette box 3 and the container 4.

Back of the stationary surface 1 entirely concealed thereby is the movable surface which may be of any desired contour and which may be flat or curved. In the example shown, this movable surface is made as a circular disk 5 (Fig. 2), and on this circular disk which is of the same dark color as the stationary surface there are shown at 6 and 7 two pictures of a cigarette so arranged that on the rotation of the said disk close behind the stationary surface, the pictured cigarettes will in certain time intervals appear in the opening or window 2 and disappear again. In the person standing in front of the stationary surface the illusion of a cigarette continually dropping from the cigarette box 3 into the container 4 is created. Instead of two cigarettes being pict-ured on the disk 5, of course three or four cigarettes may be pictured, or only one as may be desired.

The disk 5 is rotatably mounted on a spindle 8 which is journalled in a bearing 9 and may be driven from any desired source of power such as a small electric motor shown in broken lines in Fig. 2.-

According to the modification shown in 3, the cigarette y b p t ed n an endless strip 10 made of strong paper, or any other suitable material. In that case, the strip 10 is passed over two rollers 11, 12, one of which may be rotated by means of a pulley from any suitable source of power (not shown).

Other modifications, such as a rotatable drum, carrying pictures of articles, Will easily suggest themselves as being adaptable for creating the desired illusion.

I claim:

1. The combination of a stationary surface having an opening, a movable surface disposed back of said stationary surface and carrying the picture of some article, or the like arranged to move across said opening at certain time intervals, and means for setting said movable surface into motion said movable surface and said stationary surface being similarly colored.

2. The combination of a stationary surface having an opening, a movable surface disposed back of said stationary surface and carrying the picture of some article, or the like, arranged to appear in certain time intervals in said opening, and a means for moving said'movable surface at a uniform rate of speed, said movable surface and said stationary surface being similarly colored.

3. The combination of a stationary surface having an opening, a movable surface disposed back of said stationary surface and carrying one or more pictures of some article, or the like, arranged to appear in certain time intervals in said opening,.mea1is for moving said movable surface at a uniform rate of speed, and a casing enclosing said movable surface and said means and being closed in front by said stationary surface, said movable surface and said stationary surface being similarly colored.

' 4. The combination of a stationary surfacehaving an opening, a circular rotatable surface disposed back of said stationary surface, and carrying one or more pictures of some article, or the like,arranged to appear in certain time intervals in said opening, and a means for rotating said circular surface at a uniform rate of speed, said niovable surface and said stationary surface being similarly colored.

5. The combination as specified in claim comprising also a casing concealing said rotatable surface and said'rotating means, the front Wall of said casing being formed by said stationary surface.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EUGEN HABERFELD. 

